Spectre Clan
by NCR Ranger
Summary: The Federation doesn't realize that poking the bear isn't a wise thing to do.


**A/N:**

**A sequel to COD Ghosts would be a far more suitable entry to the series than the " total reboot " they're giving us. Modern Warfare was amazing the way it was, but they've gone and ret-conned it all. For nothing, too.**

* * *

Zumwalt-class cruiser ' USS Lafayette "

0930 hours.

* * *

They'd taken Logan.

They didn't even kill him. They _took_ him.

Seated on the edge of his bunk, with its sheets tossed haphazrdly about, Hesh Logan kept his unmasked face buried in the weathered palms of his hands. He wasn't crying, though. He was too stunned and empty for that.

All he could do, was let his mind drag him through the wrenching memoires of what had happened only yesterday.

Those Federation bastards had seized his brother, and dragged him off to God knows where.

Logan Walker was gone.

Even at this very moment, Logan could be _anywhere_ in _all of South America. _That was a heck of a large area of the Earth for someone to vanish into, and with no idea of where to look, you chances of finding them anytime soon were essentially nanoscopic to nothing.

The poison on the corrosive cake ? They could be doing _anything_ to him in this very moment too. Everyone in the Logan brothers' Ghost squad had witnessed how badly Ajax had been tortured and beaten when they'd rescued him from the Federation's grasp back in California- and he'd ended up dying from those injuries minutes later.

They'd seen up close how Gabriel Rorkue, once the poster boy for the Ghosts themselves as their most celebrated and effective member, had been twisted and molded by the Federation's brainwashing regimen into an Apex predator that hunted Ghosts like a North Dakota rancher hunted peasants ( birds ).

_And now, they're doing that to him. They're, erasing everything that makes Logan_ Logan , _and writing in its place everything they need to turn him into who and what Rorke is ! That's what he'd said they were going to do my little brother. Rorke said it himself._

_They didn't kill him. They took him. And you can do much, _much_ more painful things to someone if you take them rather than kill them. _

It'd have better if they'd both been taken. If either one of them _had_ to be taken, then why couldn't have been_ both_ of them ?! _Why_ ?! They'd been raised together from when they were the smallest of children up till they were fully grown. Over _20 years !_

All the normal things that anyone these days goes through- attending school, sledding in the winter, riding bikes down brightly lit city streets- they'd done all those things together. They'd been there for each other so much for so long.

They had rarely been apart, and whenever they were, they knew it couldn't be for long. Now, that was all turned on its head. Logan had been taken somewhere where Hesh could not follow, becasue he didn't know where to follow to.

And if/when he finally did know, what if it was too lat-

_No. No, no, no. That's defeatist. We are not defeatists !_

_But, how am I supposed to get him out of there ?! I've got nothing to go on !_

" Lt Walker ! I know you're in there. "

Eventually, though, after a few seconds had crawled by, he at last lifted his face from its previous location of being pressed into his palms, Hesh Logan slowly looked up at the gunmetal colored bulkhead to his quarters that was currently locked tight. From somewhere on the other side of it, came a distinct _dink, dink, dink_ of someone knocking on it.

" Hesh ! You're hiding in your room now ? "

_Why are you _here_ ?_

Hesh actually seriously contemplated shouting that at the bulkhead, or possibly even screaming it, but at the final moment, discipline and self control kicked back in, and he stopped himself. It wasn't Merrick's fault that Hesh was so badly feeling like he was in such a low point right now. The old(er) man was making an effort to be kind and supportive to one of his younger brothers in arms.

For all his gruffness, Merrick was looking out for them. Despite being a captain, he was being what a sergeant ( not _Marine_ sergeants, who are bundles of pure rage ) was to the men in his squad: the calm, reassuring rock.

The gesture itself wasn't unappreciated. Hesh had nothing against it. But, even so-

_Someone's going to call this sulking. Or brooding. I don't care; I am not in the mood for company right now._

_Not yet. Barring him issuing an order-_

_" _Yes sir. I am here. ". Hesh bit his lower lip, and rested his hands on his knees. He stared fixedly at the deck plates beneath his boots.

" Finally. Been looking all over this tub for you. "

There was a pause on the other side of the bulkhead, and then-

" I'll get right to the point: We need to talk. Don't ask what about; we both already know. "

Not the most textboot shrink dialouge, but the old(er) SEAL was doing a decent job of it. Even so, however, Hesh's mood on wanting to be left alone remained the same as it was before.

" Do we need to do this now, sir ?

" Oh, yes we do. There's not much our fleet can do right now, what with the _' Liberator'_ and most of her escorts sunk , but we're far from out of this fight. There's plenty left for us. Especially for you. I know you have a score that needs settling with the Feds, anyway. "

Well, that was true. Hesh would not turn down a chance to stick it to the Feds in the most painful way he could. But, talking about what they'd done to Logan ?

_I can't. Maybe I won't, ever._

_" _Is that an order, sir ? "

Hesh somehow hoped it would not be. However-

" I could turn it into one. But, I rather not. Come on, kid. I told your dad I'd look out for both of you. I couldn't help Logan back there. So let's talk about what we can do about changing that. "

" Come on, Hesh. Unlock this door. You can't handle this alone. "

By " this ", he could easily be referring to- well, it didn't need to be said. Hesh felt his jaw clench, as the thought of the torture the Feds were putting on Logan cropped up again.

That's what " this " is.

_You're right, Merrick. We have to get on this now. We have to rescue him _yesterday.

_And we'll make the Feds pay for it with their own blood. _Especially _that devil-spawn Rorke._

Hesh exhaled, then nodded slowly.

He stood.

" I'll get the door, sir. We've got some planning to do. "


End file.
